1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a bandana, and in particular it relates to a head covering with an attached whistle.
2. Description of the Related Art
As most people are well aware, typical bandanas are square pieces of cotton that are generally made from a cotton fabric with a spotted or floral pattern design. Since bandanas have symbolized all-American values such as hard work and rugged independence in the public consciousness over the past century, they are generally thought of as distinctively American. Underlying this view is a perceived closeness to an imagined past filled with forebears who tilled the soil, sailed the seas and tamed the frontier. Thus, few Americans today are aware that the word “bandana” and the original textile used for its manufacture were both imported from India. Although bandanas were a distinctly exotic import in the eighteenth century, they gradually became widely used and were considered quintessentially American in the nineteenth century. The word “bandana” derives either from Hindustani, the language spoken by traders before India's independence, or from Bengali, the language of the region in which bandanas were made. In both languages, the word means “tie-dyed”, the technique by which small sections of cloth are tightly wrapped with thread to prevent dye from penetrating therethrough.
Offered today in colorful solids and paisley prints, versatile and easily donned bandanas appeal to virtually all walks of life. In recent years, bandanas have become benchmarks of casual fashion and consequently are widely worn by teenagers, laborers and celebrities, among others. Bandanas often serve multiple purposes, including coordinating a casual wardrobe, protecting the head from the elements and disguising a bad hair day. However, currently available bandanas do not generally serve the purpose of drawing the attention of others to the person who is wearing it upon a moment's notice. Such functionality would be useful under numerous circumstances, such as when playing a sport, attending a political or other social rally and fearing for one's physical safety when unwittingly placed in an unsafe situation. Hence, there is a pressing and broadly felt need for a bandana that includes means of loudly and quickly alerting others of the presence of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,598 to Dibrell (“Dibrell”) teaches a scarf that can be wrapped around the neck or other body area of a user and perform a heat-transfer operation thereon. However, the scarf of Dibrell provides absolutely no means of drawing attention to its user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,943 to Han (“Han”) discloses headgear that has an attachable whistle. However, an electric disc is attached to the headgear of Han via an electrical wire. Hence, a user could not safely wear the headgear of Han when it is raining or snowing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,292 to Wood et al. (“Wood”) teaches an adjustable multi-layer square of material that can be formed into a bandana or scarf and that has means for supporting glasses or goggles. However, the bandana of Wood provides absolutely no means of drawing attention to its user.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purposes employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.